Last week’s installment of The Walking Dead was a bright spot in a season that’s often felt scattered and tonally confused. King Ezekiel’s fake-it-till-you-make-it gambit finally came crashing down as he saw his entire squadron obliterated by the Saviors’ ballistic weapons. Only he, Carol, and Jerry made it out alive; even the king’s beloved tiger, Shiva, died saving his life. The episode was fast-paced, but it also built in character moments through flashbacks.

This week offered no such narrative grace. Negan came back after a few weeks away, which meant the show was back to indulging its worst impulses. No matter how hard this drama tries to mine depth from Negan, its efforts will always fail—because charismatic as Jeffrey Dean Morgan might be, he’s playing a character who is still, at heart, a 2-D comic-book villain.

It’s been a while since we left Negan and Gabriel trapped in a trailer together, surrounded by zombies. As it turns out, they spent most of the time talking—or at least, Negan did. This episode seemed bent on insisting, as previous episodes have, that Rick and his group might not be that different from Negan and the Saviors. He insists to Gabriel that Rick is an even bigger asshole than he is: “He’s going to get people killed . . . See, I killed the widow’s husband and the ginger, but I didn’t get them killed. There’s a big difference.”

There is a difference, but it doesn’t help Negan’s case. The reason this war broke out in the first place is because Negan is a tyrant who demands that everyone he meet provide him “half their stuff” in exchange for him not terrorizing them. His violence, Gabriel points out, also isn’t just economic—it’s sexual. He forces women to join his harem, often by threatening the men they love. (And no, succumbing to those circumstances does not by any stretch of the imagination count as consent.) Rick and his group, on the other hand, are the guys trying to topple Negan’s system. Upon roughly 30 seconds of consideration, there’s no truth to the argument that they and Negan are equally at fault.

Even Sunday’s climactic reveal—when Gabriel finally gets a confession out of Negan—lands with a thud. Throughout their time yammering away in the trailer, Gabriel insists that he’s there to take Negan’s confession, as the two face possible death. Negan resists the notion until he decides it’s time to break out of the trailer—a task he decides he can’t do alone, for reasons that are not entirely clear. To gain Gabriel’s assistance, Negan confesses his weakest moment: he cheated on his wife pre-apocalypse, and when she succumbed to illness during the zombie takeover, he was unable to kill her. Yep. That’s the whole thing.

Perhaps it was meant to feel like a parallel to Morgan Jones, who was also unable to put a bullet in his wife’s brain. But at this point, Rick and his group have faced eight seasons’ worth of horrors—and Negan’s origin story simply doesn’t have much impact, especially if it’s meant to forge any sort of sympathy for him.

Negan’s arrival back at the Sanctuary comes just in time—right before the workers plan to stage an uprising against his second-in-command, Simon. Negan’s arrival seems to stop them, but more trouble is certainly on the horizon—especially now that Negan has figured out that one of his men helped facilitate the chaos. Eugene knows that Dwight is the culprit, but so far has remained quiet—opting instead to deliver some welcome gifts to Gabriel, whose decision to help Negan has apparently not spared him from a jail cell.

Unfortunately, when Eugene finds Gabriel, he isn’t looking so good; he’s sweating and shivering, insisting that Dr. Carson, Maggie’s doctor from the Hilltop Colony whom the Saviors took captive, must escape the Sanctuary. Was getting captured Gabriel’s plan all along? Is this some sort of rescue mission? If so, let’s hope it goes better than that time the group tried to spring Beth Greene from Grady Memorial Hospital in Season 5.

Daryl Dixon

This photo has a lot of layers—both literal and figurative. Clearly, the hat is a nod to the blistering sun—which, ostensibly, is also responsible for the impressive amount of sweat soaking through Daryl’s shirt. Then again, if it’s so hot, why on earth is Daryl—the king of bare biceps—wearing this loud button-down shirt? For the love of God, if we’re going to give him an unnecessary layer, make it a poncho.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

King Ezekiel

King Ezekiel looks like he’s ready for a snowy hiking trip with Bane in that long, fur-lined leather jacket. Somehow, he barely seems to be breaking a sweat—not that you'd see it through that coat.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Rick Grimes

It’s been many a moon since we’ve seen Rick with dry hair. His perpetually sweat-soaked button-downs and water-logged locks are worthy of the desert—or Disney World in the summer. Yet, there he is, talking to be-leathered, unbothered King Ezekiel. If the rule of good leadership is “never let 'em see you sweat,” Rick should be fired immediately.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Carol Peletier

Carol has taken to wearing a heavy-looking, camel-colored coat. And apparently it’s so cold in this scene that even the zombie had to put on her cardigan before stalking her prey.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Sasha Williams

I guess it’s warm? I mean, everyone is definitely less layered than they were during the season premiere, as they all sat in a semi-circle shaking with fear in their jackets and over-shirts and long sleeves. Sasha’s even wearing short sleeves now!

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Maggie Greene

Then again, here’s Maggie, in long sleeves and an undershirt with no pit stains! Oh, to have that superpower.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Enid and Carl

I give up. Here are Enid and Carl on roller skates. Enjoy the midseason premiere on Sunday night. I’ll be here, staring at everyone’s clothes and dejectedly muttering to myself.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

Daryl Dixon

This photo has a lot of layers—both literal and figurative. Clearly, the hat is a nod to the blistering sun—which, ostensibly, is also responsible for the impressive amount of sweat soaking through Daryl’s shirt. Then again, if it’s so hot, why on earth is Daryl—the king of bare biceps—wearing this loud button-down shirt? For the love of God, if we’re going to give him an unnecessary layer, make it a poncho.

Courtesy of AMC.

King Ezekiel

King Ezekiel looks like he’s ready for a snowy hiking trip with Bane in that long, fur-lined leather jacket. Somehow, he barely seems to be breaking a sweat—not that you'd see it through that coat.

Courtesy of AMC.

Rick Grimes

It’s been many a moon since we’ve seen Rick with dry hair. His perpetually sweat-soaked button-downs and water-logged locks are worthy of the desert—or Disney World in the summer. Yet, there he is, talking to be-leathered, unbothered King Ezekiel. If the rule of good leadership is “never let 'em see you sweat,” Rick should be fired immediately.

Courtesy of AMC.

Carol Peletier

Carol has taken to wearing a heavy-looking, camel-colored coat. And apparently it’s so cold in this scene that even the zombie had to put on her cardigan before stalking her prey.

Courtesy of AMC.

Negan

Again: here’s our Big Bad, zipped into his leather jacket, which looks like a thick summer sausage casing—and looking pretty comfy. In one episode, we see Negan all layered up and then totally comfy on the porch with Carl—sporting bare arms. One of those two outfits must be uncomfortable, right?

Courtesy of AMC.

Paul Rovia (Jesus)

Jesus might be the key to unlocking this puzzle. In recent episodes, he’s been seen without his beanie and jacket—which would imply to us that it’s getting warmer. So perhaps it’s spring? But if that's the case, how are Ezekiel and the Kingdom growing such luscious apples and pomegranates? Back to Square One.

Courtesy of AMC.

Tara Chambler

Far be it for us to tell a woman how to dress—but why layer two short-sleeved shirts? If it’s warm, this would theoretically be uncomfortable—and if it’s cool, wouldn’t it be easier to simply wear sleeves? Perhaps long-sleeved shirts are in short supply during the zombie apocalypse.

Courtesy of AMC.

Morgan Jones

Morgan is wearing the same clothing as Rick these days, yet he produces less sweat. That kind of biological poise is why he belongs in a place called the Kingdom, and Rick does not.

Courtesy of AMC.

Michonne

Speaking of the Kingdom: my kingdom to whoever can explain to me Michonne and Ezekiel's clearly polar opposite body temperatures.

Dwight

I don’t know, man. I just don’t know.

Courtesy of AMC.

Sasha Williams

I guess it’s warm? I mean, everyone is definitely less layered than they were during the season premiere, as they all sat in a semi-circle shaking with fear in their jackets and over-shirts and long sleeves. Sasha’s even wearing short sleeves now!

Courtesy of AMC.

Maggie Greene

Then again, here’s Maggie, in long sleeves and an undershirt with no pit stains! Oh, to have that superpower.

Courtesy of AMC.

Enid and Carl

I give up. Here are Enid and Carl on roller skates. Enjoy the midseason premiere on Sunday night. I’ll be here, staring at everyone’s clothes and dejectedly muttering to myself.